Back in 1970, Sanyo envisioned a future where manual bathing was obsolete and head-washing was (apparently) optional. At the World Expo in Osaka, Sanyo unveiled their plan in the form of the Ultrasonic Bath.

Essentially, the device was a human washing machine that cleaned, massaged and dried the occupant in a fully-automated 15 minute cycle. Obviously, Sanyo's vision of the future didn't quite pan out for the average citizen, but if you live in Japan you can look forward to a similar experience when your kids finally decide to put you in a home. A descendant of the Ultrasonic Bath concept called the HIRB ("Human In Roll-lo Bathing") system works in a similar fashion—scrubbing the elderly to a sparkling shine. [Pink Tentacle via Neatorama]